Sofia University alumna Laura Bakos recently received a $10,000 grant from Aetna to fund her a mindfulness program in Florida schools through her Inner Explorer organization.
Bakos co-founded Inner Explorer, an organization that promotes daily mindfulness practices to help students reduce their stress and strengthen their self-regulation skills, helping them reach higher levels of academic achievement, according to a university press release. The program builds on the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction protocol, creating custom practices for a range of age groups.
Inner Explorer says that through 10-minute practices each day, schools can provide students with better daily consistency without altering their curriculum or classroom teachers. The program helps create focus and reduce behavioral issues, creating more time for engagement and inspiration.
Bakos created the program after using mindful awareness to benefit her own career and balance while working for GE. Inner Explorer was built from her decision to share that mindful awareness with her colleagues, which naturally developed into the education space.
Her Aetna grant for the program will allow it to reach more than 12,000 students, the release said.
